Protective device for horses&#39; legs



Sept. 14, 1948. J. POLINSKY PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR HORSES LEGS Filed May 10, 1947 4 INVENTOR Jbmv- PaL/Ms/(Y Mn, & @OWV Y ATlTa/PNEYJ Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNITED TATES PATENT OFFICE;

rno'rnc'rrvn DEVICE FOR HORSES LEGS JohnPolinsky, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 10, 1947, Serial No. 747,265

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to a protective device for shielding horses leg joints. It is particularly adapted for use in connection with the legs of race horses or pedigreed animals which represent a large financial investment by the owner.

As is known to those familiar with the history and breeding of race horses, the greatest care must be exercised in guarding the legs of such horses against accidental injuries inflicted usually by the horses themselves in stalls, stables, or starting gate devices, or in contacts with paddock fences, or race track guard rail supports. Such collisions are usually encountered by the knee joints of the horses forelegs or the hock joints of the horses hind legs or to a lesser extent by the fetlock joints.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved protection means for shielding a horses legs against harmful contact with obstructions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide shielding means which can be readily applied to the horses legs, and which is removable, but can be worn normally, in day to day routine.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel stock ng means of elastic character for a horse's legs, said stocking means having resilient pads or cushions woven therewith in such manner that the pads or cushions cannot be lost or displaced, said pads or cushions being disposed in that part of the stocking which is in contact with the horses knee, hook, or fetlock I joints.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a study of the following specification, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a pictorial representation of a horse equipped with my novel and improved leg protectors.

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged views in side elevation, respectively, of a hind leg and foreleg provided with a leg protector now to be described.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken respectively on the lines i@ of Fig. 3 and 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention here involved is not limited to the details of construction or the specific arrangement of parts herein illustrated or described. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, the scope of the present invention being defined in the appended claim.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention comprises a stocking or sheath 1 [I of elastic or resiliently yieldable material which may be readily applied to a horses fore or hind legs, and which is more or less formed to shape so that it retains its position without additional fastening means of any kind. It extends from a point above the knee or hock joint to just below the fetlock joint above the roof. It is removable for cleaning, repair, or replacement, when necessary. While it could be formed from any non-perforated material such as natural or synthetic rubber, I prefer that it be made from mesh type or woven fabric of elastic cloth character, since this conforms itself perfectly to the horses leg while permitting adequate ventilation therethrough.

At the points on the stocking adjacent the knee joint of the foreleg, at H of Fig. 3, and the heck joint of the hindleg, at 2 of Fig. 2, I provide special cushioning means I 3, which in the present instance consists of a rubber pad retained in an integrally woven pocket in the stocking. Such pad is wrapped around as muchof the joint as may normally be expected to come into contact with surrounding obstructions. It may be of any suitable thickness, for example about one inch at its thickest point, and tapering gradually to an edge around its outer periphery.

The pad l3 may be retained, as illustrated, by providing at least a portion of the stocking with a double weave 14, I5 (Figs. 4 and 5), constituting the pad pocket. The pad may actually be inserted during the stocking weaving process, so that in subsequent appearance the stocking may be seamless, and the presence of the pad may not be too conspicuous, or may not even be suspected.

It will be apparent therefore that the stocking it may be single ply weave over part of its length and double ply weave over the balance of its length without such distinctions being apparent from ordinary inspection of the stocking outer surface.

'I'he pad l3 may be made from natural rubber, or from material of similar physical properties such as any one of the varieties of rubber-like synthetic plastics now available. I prefer to use a pad formedfrom so-called sponge rubber, foam sponge, Neoprene sponge, or any other commercially available resilient material of high compressibility, and light weight.

If desired the stocking may also be provided with a similar pad in the neighborhood of the fetlock joints l6 (Figs. 2 and 3) What I claim is:

A protective stocking for a horses leg, and partion of its circumferential periphery whereby to.

provide a pocket between the plies in said neighborhood, said pocket retaining therein a pad of resilient material of rubberlike characteristics, high compressibility, and light weight, said pad beingof substantial thickness near its mid pertion, and tapering downwardly therefrom towards its peripheral edge, whereby to protect the knee joint encased in said stocking from injuries caused by accidental leg impacts with hard ob- 5 jects. v v

JOHN POLINSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES-IATENTS Number Name Date 537,607 Green Apr. 16, 1895 Marzani June 17, 1941 

